The present invention is directed to an improved staple puller for removing wire staples from pages of paper. More particularly, the invention is directed to a staple puller that is provided with clamping surfaces for gripping the wire of a staple that has one leg removed from the pages and the other leg still embedded in the pages, so that the embedded leg can be pulled free.
FIG. 1 illustrates a left side view of a conventional staple puller 10. It includes a first jaw member 12, a second jaw member 14, and a rivet 16 that extends through holes in the members 12 and 14 to pivotably join them together. The jaw members 12 and 14 are made from sheet metal and are generally U-shape in cross-section. That is, the jaw member 12 includes a left side wall 18, a right side wall (not shown) having the same shape as the wall 18, and a back wall (not shown) that joins the left and right side walls. Similarly, the jaw member 14 includes a left side wall 20, a right side wall (not shown) having the same shape as the left side wall, and a back wall (not shown) that joins the left and right side walls. The back wall of the jaw member 14 has a width that is slightly smaller than the width of the back wall of the jaw 12, so that the side walls of the jaw member 14 can be accommodated between the side walls of the jaw member 12.
At the front end portion 24 of the staple puller 10, the jaw members 12 and 14 have teeth 26. A spring 28 is wrapped around the rivet 16 and has legs that engage the back walls of the members 12 and 14, urging the staple puller 10 to an open position wherein the teeth 26 are spread apart. However, the staple puller 10 can be moved to a closed position by pressing the jaw members 12 and 14 together against the force of the spring 28. Plastic finger grips 30 are mounted on the jaw members to facilitate moving the staple puller 10 to its closed position.
During use, the teeth 26 of either the first or second jaw member 12 or 14 are hooked under the wire of the staple that is to be removed from a group of papers, and the staple puller 10 is then squeezed toward its closed position. This slides the teeth of the other jaw member under the staple, too. Further movement of the staple puller 10 toward its closed position generally pulls the staple from the group of papers.
FIG. 2 illustrates a problem that sometimes occurs during this process. Here, one leg 32 of a staple that has been mangled during a staple-puling attempt remains embedded in a stack 34 of paper. This is what I call a “straggler.” An attempt to remove a straggler with one's fingers is rarely successful and may result in a paper cut or puncture wound by the wire. Scissors can sometimes be used to pry out a straggler, but more frequently the problem is solved by grabbing half of the stack with one hand and half with the other hand and then pulling them apart, thus freeing the straggler from half of the stack while leaving it embedded in the other half. The process is then repeated until the straggler can be extracted with the fingers. This removes the straggler but usually damages at least some of the papers.